Research Involving Submarine Based Scheduling Tool for Incorporation into the Non-Tactical Data Processing System (NTDPS) within Virginia Class Submarines in support of NMRC

The Naval Medical Logistics Command (NMLC) intends to award a sole source contract under the authority of FAR 6.302-1 to Pulsar Informatics, Inc.; 3401 Market St STE 318, Philadelphia, PA 19104; for the performance of a research and development (R&D) project in support of the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC), Silver Spring, MD. The research project will fulfill a critical need to provide a validated submarine based scheduling tool for incorporation into the Non-Tactical Data Processing System (NTDPS) within Virginia Class Submarines. The estimated period of performance of the project is 36 months. The validated submarine based fatigue-based scheduling tool is a follow on effort performed by Pulsar Informatics, Inc., and funded by both the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Advanced Medical Development (AMD) Program. Pulsar Informatics (Pulsar) is the only company that has integrated submarine-specific operational challenges and directly addressed the needs of submarine operations. No other examples exist that have addressed the impacts of interrupted sleep and rapidly changing operational tempo for watchbill generation for submarine crews, an entirely novel and particularly challenging problem for the submarine force. Pulsar is the only entity to have conducted the prior, ONR and AMD funded effort, which successfully created a proof of concept software architecture to 1) monitor submariner training qualifications; 2) track individual watchstander work/rest cycles; 3) integrate information from watch sections to design "watchbills" comprising multiple watch section; and, 4) optimize submarine crew schedules by providing fatigue countermeasures and real-time capability to immediately adjust rescheduling of watchbills. The two main objectives of the anticipated project are to: (1) transition and perform a knowledge transfer of the submarine-specific scheduling system into the new Virginia Class Submarine NTDPS system (named NOSIS); and (2) create a fatigue assessment component and fatigue meter dashboard for the Pulsar stand-alone software tool. In addition to the primary two tasks, a final field evaluation, validation and fine tuning of the software product will be required prior to implementation. Pulsar Informatics (Pulsar) created a US Navy Submarine-specific-scheduling and fatigue system as one previously did not exist. This submarine-specific tool captures individualized fatigue-based scheduling that can scale up from the individual watch-stander at the watch station to the watch sections' integration of fatigue. Their efforts have culminated in a stand-alone software tool. It is the only tool that includes watch station breakdown, along with watch section integration of the information. In this system, fatigue components are based on individual Submariners, which makes it the only software on the market that has accounted for submarine watch-stander positions while providing the ability to build and redesign watch schedules in real time. Additionally, Pulsar has produced the only submarine-specific scheduling and fatigue mitigation software. All these points indicate that Pulsar is qualified and has the capability to perform the work successfully. A sources sought notice was issued on 29 January 2015 for this requirement and the Government determined after the review of capability statements, that no other source had the capability to perform the required work. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals and no solicitation document exists for the requirement. Sources interested in responding to this notice are required to submit a capability statement that includes management and technical data and cost information, in sufficient detail and with convincing evidence that clearly demonstrates the capability to perform the required work. Capability statements shall not exceed 1 (8.5 x 11 inch) page and shall be submitted in 12 point, Times New Roman font. All capability statements received by the due date of this notice will be considered by the Government. A request for documentation or additional information will not be considered as an affirmative response. A determination by the Government not to compete based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement or to proceed with a sole source contract. Capability statements are due by 5:00 PM Local Time, March 25, 2015. Capability statements shall be submitted by e-mail ONLY as a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF attachment to the following address: NMLC-Research@med.navy.mil.